Electrical steering-gear



J. D. WILLIAMSON, IR.

ELECTRICAL STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I5, 1918.

Patented A11 12, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. D. WILLIAMSON, JR. ELECTRICAL STEERING GEAR. APPLICATION FILEDMAR-15.1918.

Patented Aug. 12,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN D. WILLIAMSON, 33., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL STEERING-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

Application filed March 15, 1918. Serial No. 222,783.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. VVILLIAMsoN, Jr., a. citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented anElectrical Steering-Gear, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide arelatively simple form ofcontrolling apparatus whereby a member to be moved may be caused toassume any of a number of positions in accordance with the positions orextent of adjustment given to a controlling member, the invention beingparticularly adapted for electrically controlling the operation of adistant elementsuch as a ships rudder.

It is further desired to provide a system of remote control apparatuswhich shall include novel means for indicating the position occupied atany given time by the actuated element, as well as to indicate to anoperator when said element has reached any predetermined position ofadjustment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel motor controllingsystem which shall include a relatively simple combination of conductorsand controlling members whereby the motor may be manually put inoperation from a distant point and, after being allowed to make adefinite number of revolutions, shall automatically put itself out ofoperation :-the arrangement of parts being such that the armature ofsaid motor may be caused to turn in either direction to move an actuatedelement to a predetermined extent, depending upon the direction andextent of the displacement of the controlling member from any givenposition.

These objects and other advantageous ends I attain as hereinafter setforth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electrical apparatus andconnections constituting my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in vertical section, showing onearrangement of the mechanical connections between the electric motor andthe follow-up mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating the detailconstruction of a part of the remote controller;

Fig. 5 is a developed elevation further illustrating the parts shown inFig. 4E; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation showing the automatic stop for theoperating con troller handle.

In the above drawings, 1 represents an electric motor having an armature2 and field windings 3, and arranged with its armature shaft itconnected through a secs 0nd shaft 5, a worm 6 and a worm wheel 7 to ashaft 8 connected to any device to be driven such as a ships rudder (notshown The two shafts 5 and 8 are journalcd in suitable bearings providedby a frame or casing 9 including or supporting a bearing 10 for avertical shaft 11 and also having a portion 12 serving to support astationary contact-carrying structure 13 shown in the present instanceas of a substantially semiannular form. This structure carries a seriesof contacts designed to cooperate with certain segmental contact platesmounted on the edge of a horizontal plate or frame 14, keyed orotherwise fixed on the upper end ofthe vertical shaft 11, which isdriven from the main shaft 8 through a pair of coacting beveled gears 15and 16.

The rotary member l-t with its contacts, through the mechanism abovedescribed. is driven from the motor 1 in such manner that its directionof rotation is reversed whenever the direction of rotation of said shaftis reversed.

For controlling the operation of the motor from a distant point, Iprovide a controlling device consisting of a plate 20 of insulatingmaterial having mounted on it two sets of oppositely disposed contactplates 21 35 and &1-55,' all arranged at the same distance from the axisof revolution of an operating arm, 40. Also mounted on said plate aretwo oppositely placed concentric contact strips 36 and 37, of which thefirst extends within the angle defined by two straight lines drawn fromthe center of the plate to the two contacts 21 and 35 and the otherwithin the angle defined by two other straight lines from said center tothe contacts 41 and 55. Also mounted on the late 20 between the strip 37and the spind e of the handle or arm 10 is a series of contacts 61 and acontact strip 110, of which said contacts are respectively connected toone set of the terminals of a bank of tell-tale or indicating lamps 62mounted preferably in a circularly curved line in position to be easilyobserved by the operator.

For cooperating with the above sets of contacts, I provide an arm 10mounted to rotate concentrically with them and shown for the purpose ofillustration, as made in four electrically independent or insulatedparts, of which that indicated at 38, includes or is connected to therotatable support or pivot. the lower one 111 includes two connectedcontacts 56 and 57, and the uppermost section 112 includes two connectedcon tacts 5S and 59. The section 113 between sections 112 and 38likewise carries connected contacts 11; and 115 designed to respectivelyengage the strip 110 and the contacts 61. Of the movable contacts theones indicated at 56 and 58 are designed to engage or cooperate with thetwo sets of contact buttons 2135 and 41-55, respectively, while thecontacts 57 and 59 move over the segmental contact strips 36 and 37which are connected' respectively to the positive and negative supplymains.

The rotary element l-it of the remote con troller has mounted on itsperiphery our elongated contact strips 63, 64-, 65 and 66 suitablyinsulated from each other by means well known in the electric'art and sodisposed that between the adjacent ends of the two latter there ismounted a relatively .short electrically independent contact 67.

hile the top edges of all of said strips are in the same plane, thelower edges of the strips 65, 66 and 67 extend below the lower edges ofthe strips 63 and 64 so that, although both sets of these strips may beengaged by certain fixed contacts 85 99, the end contacts 8% and 100 canonly engage the strips 65 and 66, being so place-d that when the member14 is in its mid or neutral position, they are out of engagement withthe contacts or are open-circuited,

The contact 67 through a conductor 68, is connected to one terminal of apilot lamp 69 mounted on or adjacent the controller plate 26 and havingits second terminal electrically connected to the contact strip 36 onsaid plate. This conductor 68 is also connected to a contact strip 110concentric with the contacts 1155. The t vo contacts 61 and 66 of themember 1% are connected together by a conductor 76 and through aconductor 71 are also connected to one terminal of the motor armature 2.The second terminal of the latter, through a conductor 7:2, is connectedto the contact strip 6.3, which through a conductor 73 is also connectedto the contact strip 63.

The supporting structure 13 of the remote controller provides guides forthe con tacts 8et100 which are so mounted as to have limited movementradially toward and from the rotary member 14, it being understood thatall of them are suitably insulated from each other and, in the caseillustrated, so arranged that the contacts 8% and 100 lie in a planebelow and parallel to that including the contacts 8599. As a result,said two contacts 84 and 100 are capable of engaging the contact strips6566 but not the strips 636 1. The arrangement of these contacts is suchthat when the contact 92 is in engagement with the short contact 67 ofthe rotary plate 14:, the contact 84 is disengaged, the contacts 8591all engage the contact segment 65, the contacts 9399 all engage thecontact strip 66, and the contact 100 is also disengaged.

The various contact plates of the two series carried by the controllerplate 20 are cross connected in such manner that those indicated atEll-27 are respectively con nected to those indicated at 1955 and arelikewise respectively connected to the contacts 8591 of the remotecontroller. Similarly the contacts 2935 are not only connected to thecontacts 41%? but are also connected to cont-acts 9993 of the remotecontroller. In addition, the contact 28 of the governing controller isconnected to the two contacts 84 and 100 of the remote controller andthe contact 48 is connected to the contact 92. An overload circuitbreaker 116 is preferably connected between the positive supply main andthe contact strip 36 and in order to give an indication to the operatorwhen this breaker is open, I provide a lamp 117 controlled by a switch118-119 so designed that it is closed by the opening of said breaker;the lamp being simultaneously lighted by the current which flows fromthe positive supply niain through the Winding and movable blade of saidcircuit breaker, through the engaged contacts 118 and 119 and throughsaid lamp to the negative main.

in order to prevent the controller arm 40 being thrown in one movementfrom a position on one side of its off position (Fig.

1) to another position on the opposite side thereof, 1 provideamelectro-magnet 120 in series with the conductor 68 and having itsarmature so acted on by a spring or other suitable means that it willprevent passage of the arm through the neutral position as long as saidmagnet is deenergized. lVhen the magnet is supplied with suitablecurrent however, the armature is withdrawn ant leaves the handle free tobe moved. l l hcn the parts are in the neutral. or mid positions shownin 1, current is free to flow from the positive supply main through thecircuit breaker 116 to the contact strip 36 thence through the magnet20, the lamp 69, conductor 68, contacts 67, 92,59, through the section112 of the handle 40 to the contact strip 37 and thence to the negativesupply 1nain.. The lamp 69 is thus lighted, as is also the middlelamp'of the series 62, since this latter is supplied with current fromthe positive supply main through said middle lamp, through the middleone of the contacts 61, section 113 of the controller arm, strip 110,conductor 68 and to the negative supply main. As the magnet 120 isenergized, its core is withdrawn from engagement with the controller armso that' the latter may be moved in either direction from its neutralposition.

It now the handle be moved to the position indicated by the line acwFig. 1, so that its contacts 56, 57, 58 and 59 respectively engage. thecontacts 23, 36, 37 and 43, current is then free to flow from thepositive supply main to the contact strip 36, through contacts 57 and 56of the "operating arm to contact 23, thence to contact 89 of the remotecontroller, contact strip 65 of the movable element 14, conductor 72,armature 2 of the motor, conductor 71, contact strip 66, contact 97, tocontact 43 of the governing controller, through contacts 59 and 58 tothe contact strip 37 and thence to the negative supply main.

As a result of the completion of this circuit and since the fieldwinding 3 of the motor is always energized, the motor is started andthrough the shafts 4 and 5, worm 6 v and worm wheel 7, turns the shaft 8together with the rudder or other member to be moved. At the sametimethe gears 16 and with the shaft 11 are turned, together with themovable element 14 of the remote controller ;this revolntion under theconditions noted, taking place in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1).

When the element 14 of the remote controller has been moved suflicientlyto bring the rudder or other actuated member to the predetermineddisplaced position corresponding to the displaced position of theoperating arm of the governing controller, the operation of the motor isautomatically stopped since its armature circuit is broken by reason ofthe contact segment 66 of the movable element 14 passing out ofengagement with the fixed contact 97 which is then engaged by theindependent contact 67. As soon as the controller arm 40'. is moved fromits neutral position as above noted, the breakage of the circuitincluding the lamps 69 and 62 and the magnet 120, causes the former tobe extinguished and allows the armature of the magnet to project intothe path of movement of said arm. When however, by reason of theoperation described, the contact 97 engages the contact 67, the lamp 69is lighted, showing that the rudder has reached the desired position andin addition one of the lamps 62 to one side of the middle of the series,is also lighted by reason of its position in said series, giving avisual indication of the angle through which the rudder has moved.

If now it be desired to bring the rudder to a position corresponding tothe position of the operating handle indicated by the line 3/?/, saidhandle is first moved from the position mw to its neutral position(since the projection of the magnet armature prevents its furthermovement), whereupon current flows from the positive supply main throughthe segment 36 to contact 28, thence to contact 100 of the remotecontroller, se mental contact 66, conductor 71, armature 2, conductor72, segmental contact 65, contact 92, contact 48 of the operatingcontroller, thence through arm contacts59 and 58, segmental contact 37and to the negative supply main. The motor is' thereupon again set inoperation, moving the rudder to its amid-ships position and with itreturning the movable element 14 of the remote controller to its neutralposition, the middle lamp of the series 62 and the lamp 69 lighting upwhen this position has been reached and the motor cut out of circuit asbefore.

As the magnet 120 is thus again supplied with current, its armature iswithdrawn from the arm 40 so that this may be shifted to the positionfI/fI/, permitting current to flow from the positive main throughcontacts 36, 57, 56, 33, 95, 66, conductor 71, armature 2, conductor 72,contacts 65, 87, 53, 59, 58, 37 and to the negative supply main. Themotor is thus put in operation in such a direction as to continue themovement of the rudder from the amid-ships position through an angledependent on the angle through which the arm 40 and the movable element14 are turned. Such rotation oc curs in a direction opposite that of thearrow (Fig. 1) and continues until contact 65 has been moved out ofengagement with the contact 87, whereupon the motor is opencircuited andbrought to rest, While the circuits of the lamp 69 and one of the lamps62 to the right of the middle of the series are completed through thecontact 87 and contact-s 53, 59, 58 and 37 to the negative supply main.

By the peculiar arrangement and connections of the elements abovedescribed, I utilize certain of the conductors and contacts of thecontrolling system proper as parts of the indicating or tell-tale lampcircuits, thereby reducing the complication and correspondinglyincreasing the reliability of the system. For example, each time one ofthe lamps 62 and the lamp 69 is lighted, when the element 14 of theremote controller is displaced from its neutral position, the circuit ofsaid lamp is completed from the contact 67 through one of the fixedcontacts of the remote controller, through the conductor attachedthereto and the corresponding contact plate of the governing controller,the part 112 of the handle &0 and contact strip 37 to the negativesupply main.

I claim:

1. The combination of a governing controller including an operatinghandle and two sets of contacts mounted to be engaged by said handlewhen it is moved in either direction from a definite position; a motor;a remote controller including two relatively movable parts of which onecarries tWo sets of contacts respectively connected to those of thegoverning controller and the other has contacts cooperating with thelatter contacts, the armature of said motor being connected directly andexclusively with the contacts of one of said parts of the remotecontroller, a member connected to be shifted in either of two directionsby operation of the motor; and mechanism for causing the movable part ofthe remote controller to be actuated in unison with and proportionallyto the distance moved through 'by said member.

2. The combination of a governing controller including two sets ofcontacts and a. handle mounted to engage the middle con tacts of eachset when in its neutral position; a remote controller including asupporting structure two series of fixed contacts thereon respectivelyconnected to the contacts of both sets of contacts on the governingcontroller, and a movable member having contacts cooperating with saidfixed contacts; a motor electrically connected to the contacts of saidmovable member; mechanism operated by the motor in either direction froma mid position; with means for mechanically connecting said mechanism tothe movable element of the remote controller for shifting the same whenthe motor is operated.

3. The combination of a motor; a member driven thereby in eitherdirection from a mid position; a remote controller for the motor;mechanism for causing said controller to follow up said member; agoverning controller; conductors connecting said latter controller tosaid remote controller, the governing controller including means fordetermining the extent and direction of movement of the actuated member;with means for visually indicating the extent of the movement of saiddriven member when the motor is operated and including certain of saidconnecting conductors.

4:. The combination of a governing controller having series of contacts;an indicating lamp for said controller; a remote controller including amovable element having a series of contacts of which one is connected tosaid lamp; an electric motor connected to others of said contacts; aseries of fixed contacts for the remote controller respectivelyconnected to the contacts of the governing controller; means for causingthe movable element of the remote controller to follow up the motor; andconnections for causing said lamp to be lighted when the movable elementof the remote controller has been shifted by the motor to a positioncorresponding to any adjustment of the governing controller.

5. The combination of a governing'controller having series of contacts;an indicating lamp for said controller; a remote controller including amovable element having a series of contacts of which one is connected tosaid lamp; an electric motor connected to others of said contacts; aseries of fixed contacts for the remote controller respectivelyconnected to the contacts of the governing controller; means for causingthe movable element of the remote controller to follow up the motor; andconnections including certain of the contacts and connections of saidcontrollers for causing said lamp to be lighted when the movable elementof the remote controller has been shifted by the motor to a positioncorresponding to any adjustment of the governing controller.

6. The combination of a governing-controller having contacts and anoperating arm; a remote controller having two sets of fixed contacts ofwhich certain lie in one plane and others in a plane parallel to saidfirst plane; a movable element for said remote controller having certaincontacts formed to engage all of said fixed contacts and also havingother contacts placed to engage certain only of the fixed contacts; amotor electrically connected to the contacts of the movable element ofthe remote controller; and mechanism for causing said movable element tofollow up said motor.

7 The combination of a motor; a member driven thereby in either of twodirections from a mid position; controlling apparatus for determiningthe extent and direction of movement of said member and including amanually adjustable element operative in either direction from a midposition; with means for causing said element tobe temporarily held atits mid position when it is attempted to move it from one side to theother of said position.

8. The combination of a motor; a member driven thereby in either of twodirections from a mid position; controlling apparatus for determiningthe extent and direction of movement of said member and including a 9.The combinationof a motor; amember driven thereby in either of twodirections from a mid position; controlling apparatus for determiningthe extent and direction of movement of said member and including acontact carrying member actuated by the motor and a manually adjustablecontrolling member; with means for preventing the latter member beingmoved from one side to the other of its mid position until the contactcarrying member has moved into its mid position, thesame consisting ofan electromagnetic latch connected to be rendered inoperative when thecontact carrying member and the controlling member occupy the samerelative positions in their respective paths of movement.

10., The combination of a'motor; a member driven thereby in either oftwo directions from amid position; controlling apparatus for determiningthe extent and di- 'rection of movement of said member and in' cluding acontact carrying member actuated by the motor and a manually adjustablecontrolling member; with means for preventmg the latter member beingmoved from one side to the other of .its mid position until the contactcarrying member has moved into its mid position, the same consisting ofa latch mounted to normally prevent movement of said member through itsmid position; a magnet for actuatingsaid latch;

and a circuit for the magnet including SWltChll'lg means closed when thecontact carrying member occupies its mid position.

11. The combination of a controller having contacts-and a manuallyoperative member coacting therewith; a motor; with a second controllerhaving contacts respectively connected to the contacts of the firstcontroller and provided with a movable element actuated by the motor andcooperating with the contacts of said second controller to causereversal of-the motor whenever two successive movements of the manuallyoperative member of the first controller are made in oppositedirections.

12. The combination of two controllers each having fixed contacts; amovable member for one of the controllers operatlve in oppositedirections from a neutral position,

.' the movable member for the second controller including at least twocontacts and also operative 1n opposite directions from a neutralposition, the fixed contacts adjacent the neutral position of onecontroller member being respectively connected to the fixed contactsdistant from the neutral position of the other controller and viceversa;

with a motor connected to the movable memberof the second controller andreversible therebv whenever successive movements of the movable memberof the first controller occur in opposite directions.

.13. The combination of a governing controller having at least two setsof contacts and an operating member; a remote controller having two setsof fixed contacts respectively connected to the contact sets of thegoverning controller and a movable element provided with at least twocontacts cooperating with said fixed contacts; a moexclusi'vely to'thecontacts of said movable element; and mechanism driven by the motorconnected to' actuate the movable element.

able element and reversedby the remote controller whenever successivemovements of the operating member of the governing controller occur inopposite directions; with means for mechanically driving the movableelement of the remote controller from the motor.

Inwitness whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN D. WILLIAMSON, JR'L tor having its armature connected solely and

